Volleyball is more than a game

At an event in New York's Times Square recently, a large crowd celebrated the exploits of Chinese player and coach Lang Ping were celebrated

With winter at its peak, it is hard not to get a dose of the blues even in New York's most crowded landmark, the Times Square. But, two weeks ago on a cloudy, damp, cold evening, and just five days into the New Year, a warm current was spreading there like a flu.

Lang Ping, one of China's volleyball superstars, both as a player and coach, and Wei Qiuyue, one of the women's volleyball team were there together to celebrate Budweiser's New Year at Chinese New Year celebration campaign themed "Be thankful to the people who are always behind us".

The admiration for the China women's volleyball team has grown even more in recent times as a result of its performance at the Summer Olympics in Rio.

At the event, Wei Qiuyue thanked Lang Ping for her help when she was injured.

She said: "When I was injured, I was quite emotional, and I often looked for Lang to vent my feelings, often breaking down in tears.

"Lang's words encouraged me and gave me a sense of belonging.

When my self-confidence was shaken, she took my hand, telling me that I had what it takes to stand on the Olympic podium," said Wei.

In Times Square, the two embraced amid loud applause.

Lang, who has been coaching the team since 2013, said she did not expect the team to perform so well at the beginning, and that the journey to win the gold medal in Rio was one of the toughest she had faced.

The final was between China and Serbia, and they both fight hard in each set of the match which last one hour and 37 minutes. China started slow, by losing the opening set at 19-25, but the Chinese girls made a comeback to take the next three sets at 25-17, 25-22, 25-23.

Looking very relaxed, the star coach said that the person she wanted to thank the most was her elder sister Lang Hong.

"Long training has always been an essential part of my life, so I can rarely stay at home.

So, the family relies on my sister to take care of things.

I am very grateful to my sister and brother-in-law," Lang Ping said.

"If it was not for my sister, I would not be able to work for women's volleyball in China, not to mention leading the Chinese women's volleyball team to the top of the world."

In the crowd in New York was die-hard Lang fan Zhang Qiyue, the Consul-General at China's general consulate in New York.

Speaking about her idol, she said: "When I was in college (in the 1980s), there was no TV in the dormitory, and we walked a long way to find a black-and-white TV set. Everyone shared the excitement of watching her and her teammates.

"Coach Lang and the Chinese women's volleyball team embody the spirit of not giving up.

Their tenacity reflects the spirit of China. This will inspire people in all walks of life to persevere and succeed," she says.

China's women's volleyball team won five world titles in a row in the 1980s, and the nation's morale was boosted so much then that the "spirit of the women's volleyball team" has since become the spiritual anchor for many Chinese who strive to achieve something big.

Speaking about her future, Lang Ping who was hobbling slightly at the event as a result of a hip injury she sustained after the Olympics, said she could not say for certain whether she would continue to coach the Chinese women's volleyball team. She said it would depend on her recovery.

Asked where she was going to spend the Lunar New Year, Lang said: "I will probably stay in the US for surgery, but it does not matter, I am at home everywhere."

zhanglei@chinadaily.com.cn